Blood Vampire
by ZaraBirch
Summary: Tsukune can feel Moka's blood start to effect his body again; while trying to control his cravings, a new girl befriends him in the Youkai academy, and he starts to wonder if he will be able to hold back for much longer.


Hey guys, this is my first attempt at publishing on Fan Fiction, so I hope you like it. If you do, or you have any sage advice for a newbie like me, then please review and let me know.

Thanks.

******************

Tsukune stretched and opened his eyes, it hit him instantly, that sudden thirst, his mouth had never felt so dry. He stood up and walked over to his sink, picking up a glass and drinking it down. He let out a relieved sigh and looked at his clock. _Crap! I'm gonna be late!_ He rushed over to his clothes, almost falling flat on his face in a rush to get his trousers on. He pulled the shirt on, grabbed his bag and ran down the hall as he started doing up his buttons.

The campus was empty as he ran to class, only two minutes left on the clock to get there. He found it hard to do this stretch, even when he had the time, but then again, he'd never run it before. As it started to close in on the two minute mark, he saw the school gates in the distance, he upped the pace, eager to get there before the bell rang, Nekonome was pretty strict with that stuff. Just as he got to the front gate his foot caught something, he fell to the ground in a spectacularly embarrassing manner, dust flying around him. He groaned and rubbed his sore head.

"Oh my." A voice said, "Are you all right?"

Tsukune waited for the dust to settle and looked up to see who was speaking to him. "I'm..." he saw her bend down and sit next to him to see if he was okay. "Fine."

"Thank goodness." She breathed out in relief, sitting forward, her yellow hair tucked into two pigtails, "I do apologise."

"No." Tsukune sat up. "It's my fault for being in such a hurry." He found it hard not to notice how attractive she was, even with her neat and ordinary appearance, skirt long, blouse done up all the way to try to hide her generous chest, there seemed to be an overall glow about her.

The girl smiled and sat back shyly, as if embarrassed by something. "I'm in such a mess. You see, I just transferred in from a human school and I don't know my way around the place."

"Maybe I could help." Tsukune suggested.

The girl smiled. "That would be wonderful." Tsukune smiled at how formally she spoke. She stood up, Tsukune followed. "My name is Aimi Sato." She told him as they began to walk towards the building.

"I'm Tsukune Aono." He told her, keeping an eye on her as they walked into the building. He knew he should have been getting to class but he wanted to talk with her more. "So which class is it you're in?"

"I am with Nekonome Sensei's class, but I am not sure of the room." She explained.

He smiled, excited. "That's my class." He told her.

Aimi looked at him surprised and smiled back. "That's fantastic. Isn't it good we bumped into one another."

Tsukune nodded and smiled, "Sure is." He tried to put his focus back into getting to their classroom and not on his attractive new friend. "Come on. We better hurry, we're already late."

They walked to class and pulled the door to the side. Nekonome Sensei saw Tsukune and frowned. "Aono, you are late. Do you have an excuse."

"I'm sorry Nekonome Sensei, I was showing the new student Aimi Sato to our class." He explained, hoping that this would get him out of his late arrival.

Aimi stood forward and greeted Nekonome, "I'm sorry, I delayed Tsukune on his way to class. I hope that you don't blame him for my mistake."

Nekonome smiled. "Don't worry. I think we can forgive Aono for this instance. Welcome to class Sato." Tsukune and Aimi walked to their seats and the class went back to work. Aimi looked over at Tsukune and smiled. She mouthed a silent _Thank you _to him.

******************

Kurumu leaned forward towards Tsukune and fluttered her eyelashes. "But Tsukune, can't we be partners? I'm sure Nekonome wouldn't mind if we swapped the schedule around a little."

"She put you and Moka together Kurumu, there's nothing I can do about it." Tsukune took another sip of his water and put the glass back on the table.

Kurumu pouted. "But Moka is a know-it-all, she'll end up doing the entire project herself because she doesn't trust my intelligence."

"Kurumu, that isn't true." Moka insisted. "Tell her Tsukune."

Tsukune was distracted, staring over at the table on the other side of the room, where Aimi sat alone eating her lunch, she looked lonely. "Maybe we should invite her over."

"Who?" Moka asked.

Tsukune stood up, in a world of his own and walked across the room to Aimi. "Hello Aimi."

Aimi looked up suddenly. "Tsukune." She smiled and relaxed. "Hello."

"I was wondering, if you like, you could join me and my friends at our table."

"That's so kind." She stood up and nodded. "I would love that." She picked up her tray and followed Tsukune over to their table, sitting down opposite him.

The others looked at the two in shock. Each of them wondering if he had found a new love interest. The girl looked around at the table nervously, swallowing hard. Tsukune looked at her, noticing that she was worried. He put it down to nerves. "Aimi. These are my friends, Kurumu, Moka, Yukari, and Mizore."

"Nice to meet you all." She smiled through her fear as the group glared at her and Tsukune with intense jealousy.

"So, Aimi." Kurumu leaned forward, her eyes burning into Aimi's. "What Youkai are you?"

"Kurumu, It's against school rules to talk about that." Tsukune reminded her.

"Oh it's not that big a deal, right guys?" Mizore asked them.

"No, not at all." Yukari agreed, staring at Aimi suspiciously.

Aimi pulled at her collar, feeling tense. Tsukune turned to her. "Don't worry, they're just kidding. You don't have to."

"No, I don't mind." Aimi smiled nervously. "To be honest, I never really needed to go to the Youkai academy, my powers as a Youkai are quite minimal." She admitted.

"Minimal, eh?" Kurumu raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Yes. You see, I'm an Empath." She told them.

"What's an Empath?" Moka asked.

"Is it like a psychic?" Kurumu asked.

Aimi shook her head. "Psychic's can see the future, I only read emotions." She looked at them, "You know, anger, lust, jealousy." She looked at the girls, who slumped back embarrassed. "It can be quite useless though, we don't have any protective powers. So we tend to keep to the human world."

"I had no idea Empath's existed." Tsukune admitted. "It must be quite fun sometimes to be able to tell what somebody is feeling."

"Occasionally, but most of the time it just proves to be annoying." Aimi chuckled. Tsukune leaned forward, amazed at how honest she was.

"So, if you usually keep to the human world, why have you come to the Youkai academy?" Yukari asked.

"My family wanted me to. The powers skipped several generations, since Empath's have children with humans. So they wanted me to become stronger, so that I can switch it on and off. It must be quite hassling bringing up a child who knows everything you feel." She joked. "So they sent me here to learn more about it."

"Sorry about all these questions. It's just so fascinating." Tsukune smiled at her.

Aimi smiled back, "It's okay, thank you."

The group watched Tsukune and Aimi staring at each other with smiles on their faces. Moka creased her brow. "So, Tsukune, who did you get as a partner for your project?"

Tsukune turned and looked back at Moka, "Huh? Oh, yes." He cleared his throat. "Nekonome told me the lesson before the weekend that I was partnered up with Hiraku."

"Oh." Aimi sat up. "I almost completely forgot." She leaned forward to Tsukune. "Nekonome Sensei told me that because one of your classmates, Hiraku I believe, is leaving soon, that you and I would be partnered up."

"Oh great." Tsukune smiled.

Aimi opened her mouth to say something but then paused, closed it again and looked over at the furious faces of the rest of the Newspaper club. "Great." She grinned nervously.

******************

Tsukune had arranged to meet Aimi outside the girls and boys dorm building so that they could make their way over to the library to study for their project. Tsukune looked at his clock and tapped his fingers nervously on his table. He didn't have long now, but it only took a minute to get outside, and so if he arrived almost ten minutes before their time, he would look too eager.

When he looked back, Aimi must have figured out he found her attractive when he met her. Tsukune rubbed his neck. _But she's used to knowing what others feel, surely she wouldn't care if I had a moment of lustful thoughts when we met. _Tsukune reasoned. When he thought about it, it must have been quite hard, being able to know what people felt, all your life, knowing who liked you, who hated you, every sudden lustful, angry, envious, or scared thought that ran through people's heads. It must have made her grow up quite quickly.

Tsukune looked at the clock. There was only five minutes now, _That isn't so bad_. He decided and picked up his bag. He walked down the hall and down the stairs to the front of the building. He was walking over to the bench when he noticed somebody already sitting there. He looked closer and smiled, Aimi was sitting and reading on the bench, the light hit her skin and hair gently, making her shimmer. _She really is gorgeous_. He smiled. Aimi paused and looked over at him. Tsukune waved a calm hello, but his mind was racing. _Did she notice me because of my feelings? _He watched her pack her book away and rush over.

"Hello Tsukune." Aimi smiled at him. "How are you?"

Tsukune relaxed. _Either she didn't notice, or she doesn't care_. "I'm fine. You?"

"I'm good thanks." They started walking towards the school, the trees lining the pathway were dropping leaves to ready themselves for new ones.

"I want to apologise again for me and my friends prying into your life yesterday."

Aimi smiled and shrugged. "They're nice people, I didn't mind at all." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "They're very... protective of you."

Tsukune laughed. "You noticed that, huh?"

Aimi nodded and laughed with him. "Are any of you dating?"

Tsukune was surprised by such a direct question, but he supposed that he owed her a few anyway. He shook his head. "It's complicated."

"I'm sorry." Aimi looked down embarrassed. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's not that." Tsukune looked at her. "It's fine. Go ahead. We did interrogate you yesterday. Ask me anything."

Aimi smiled at him. "I just wondered because, they all want to be with you, don't they?"

Tsukune pulled at his collar. "Yes."

Aimi watched him. "But you haven't chosen." Tsukune looked at her. "Why?"

Tsukune paused. "I think..." He looked down. "It's strange. I care about them all, and want them to be happy, but... they're friends." He looked at her. "If I picked one, it would feel like I would be abandoning the others. I don't want that." Tsukune smiled. "I keep waiting and hoping for them to each find a boyfriend until they don't mind who I date."

Aimi smiled. "You're so loyal."

"Thank you." Tsukune smiled back.

"May I say something?" Aimi asked.

Tsukune nodded. "Of course."

"It's just that. None of them are going to find themselves somebody else, because they are each holding onto the hope that you will be theirs someday. You have to go find your own life if you ever want to have one. If you don't then you could wait for them forever."

Tsukune sighed. "I know." He stopped walking. "Some part of me knows that." He looked at her and smiled. "It just feels like betrayal somehow."

Aimi smiled, staring at the mourning Tsukune. Aimi stepped forward, her hand going to his, then she slowly let her fingers caress his and then held onto him gently. Tsukune looked at her surprised. "Sometimes." She stepped forward and looked up at him. "We have to think of ourselves," she smiled. "You can't put them before yourself forever." Aimi turned, letting her hand slip out of his as she continued to walk towards the school, Tsukune watched her for a second, staring at her figure as she walked away, then shook his head and forced himself back to reality, running over to catch up with her.

******************

"I don't like it." Kurumu sat on Moka's mattress and ground her teeth angrily.

"Neither do we, but we can't prove she's up to something." Moka reminded.

Kurumu glared at Moka. "She _is_ up to something! She's stealing Tsukune. We all know it."

"She seems quite nice to me." Yukari observed, sitting by Moka's table. Moka and Kurumu glared at her. "Okay then, she's horrible."

"She's evil!" Kurumu fumed. "Diabolical. We just need to find a way to show Tsukune."

"She must die." Mizore's voice insisted. The group looked around shocked, until the cupboard door slid open and revealed Mizore. She stepped outside.

"What were you doing in my closet!" Moka screamed.

"That is not important." Mizore told her emotionless. "I was following Tsukune this afternoon when he met with Aimi."

They all stood up and walked over to Mizore. "What happened!"

"Does he like her!"

"Is she trying to steal him from us!"

Mizore stood straight. "She's putting dangerous ideas in his head, and she held his hand."

"What!" They screamed.

Kurumu ground her teeth. "She must die."

"Yes." Mizore agreed.

"Just wait a second." Yukari stopped them. "Are you sure that their hands didn't just brush against one another, or she almost tripped and he was helping her out."

"Tsukune stopped, his worry pausing him in thought, Aimi turns and sees him standing there with sadness filling him." Mizore spoke as though repeating it from an audio tape, staring into the distance coldly. "She stepped towards him once, caressing his hand with her own. He looked towards her, passion burning in their eyes. She stepped again, so that their bodies were but an inch apart, lustful thoughts filling their heads. His hands go her face and he leans forward to a embrace her in a kiss."

"You did say anything about kissing!" Moka shouted.

"I may have exaggerated." Mizore admitted.

"Whatever they did..." Kurumu told them, filled with hatred and determination. "We need to stop her."

******************

Aimi heard a knocking at her door, she got up from her table and walked over to open it up. "Moka." She looked shocked. "What are you doing here?"

Moka smiled. "Hello Aimi. A group of us are hanging out at my room and having a girls night. We were wondering if you wanted to come join us."

Aimi smiled. "I would love that." She paused, looking at Moka for a second, suddenly feeling like when she got to the room she would be tackled by four angry and jealous Youkai girls. She didn't want to turn Moka down now that she had already said yes. "That's so kind of you Moka." Aimi smiled, stepping out of her room and walking with Moka upstairs. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that I met you all, I was worried that I would find it hard to make friends here."

Moka smiled nervously and looked down. "Why?"

"Well, being an Empath can be a bit of a curse when it comes to that." Aimi admitted. "Nobody likes to make friends with somebody who knows whatever you feel. That's why I was so upfront with you all about it." Aimi smiled at Moka. "I didn't want us starting out on false pretences and for you to end up feeling like I lied to you all."

Moka rubbed her neck, as they approached her door, suddenly feeling guilty. "Well, this is mine." Moka stood outside the door and stared at it for a while.

Aimi looked at Moka. "Is something wrong?"

Moka turned to Aimi and looked at her guiltily. "Can I be honest."

"Of course." Aimi nodded.

Moka sighed. "I may have brought you here so that we could talk to you about you and Tsukune."

Aimi nodded. "Okay."

"I'm sorry. I'm such a terrible person." Moka put her head in her hands.

"Not at all. You can't help your emotions. You all care about Tsukune and you're worried I do too." Aimi put her hand on Moka's shoulder. "I'll answer your questions if it will help us all become friends."

Moka smiled at Aimi guiltily. "Thanks."

Moka opened the screen door and stepped inside where Kurumu, Yukari and Mizore stood with their arms crossed. "It's okay. I told her."

"You told her!" Kurumu uncrossed her arms and frowned at Moka. "How are we supposed to ambush somebody if you tell them we're coming."

"It's okay." Aimi smiled at them. "I'll answer your questions honestly."

"Fine then." Kurumu crossed her arms again. "Me and Yukari have been doing some research on Empath's. Apparently they don't just read emotion. They can control it too."

Aimi nodded. "Yes. That's true." Aimi admitted. "But I can't. I'm not that skilled."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Mizore asked.

"Because I've never met another Empath to teach me how." Aimi told them. "The gene is recessive, you need to receive it from both parents in order to become like myself. In most cases that means that two Empath's would have children together. But in some cases, like my own, they have children with a human, and then the recessive gene is passed down several generations until they meet someone with the same recessive gene." Aimi shrugged. "My parents didn't even know that Youkai existed. Let alone that they could give birth to one."

"So you've never been taught to persuade emotions." Yukari asked.

"Nor would I want to be." Aimi told them. "I only want to get stronger so I can switch it off when I like. I would not want to be able to control another."

"What about Tsukune. Would you like to control him?" Kurumu glared.

Aimi sighed. "Tsukune is a nice boy, kind and attractive, but we are only friends. You all know that I could not be the one to sway his feelings for me, if he thinks of me as a friend, I will be happy to stay like that, if it ever becomes more, then that would be because of him. Not me."

"Well I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you." Kurumu told her.

Aimi nodded. "I know you are jealous of me and Tsukune becoming friends so quickly, but you shouldn't be, and the more jealous you become, the more you'll just push your friend away."

Yukari looked at Kurumu. "You know, she's right." She told her. "I mean, we only hate her because Tsukune was doing the right thing and welcoming her to our school. We're the ones making a witch hunt out of nothing."

Kurumu sighed, keeping her eyes on Aimi. "Fine. I'll accept that maybe I was overreacting, but if you ever touch Tsukune or steal him away from me, then you should prepare yourself." Kurumu glared at her for a second, then relaxed and started to smile. "So, can I do your hair up, it's such a lovely colour."

******************

Tsukune stood next to the vending machine, leaning up against a wall as he drank down the water. He remembered the last time he had felt like this, thirsty constantly, just after he had been given the rosary to fix his ghoul powers. He sighed. _It'll just have to pass like it did before._ He told himself. He finished off the bottle and turned to get another one. _At least it's getting to the end of the week, I'll have the weekend to stay in bed and wait it out._ He twisted the cap off and dropped it on the floor, taking a few long gulps and then a relieved breath out.

"My, you're thirsty." Aimi observed.

Tsukune looked up and saw her walking over to him. He smiled nervously. "Yeah, haven't had anything to drink this morning." He lied.

She looked at him curiously and then shrugged. "Me neither. I came over to get a soda." She smiled. "You nervous about our project?" She asked, looking at the machine to pick out which drink she wanted.

"A little, but we'll do fine. We make a good team." He leaned up against the machine as she typed in the numbers, her hair pulled back to reveal a soft tender neck, the skin looked pale and delicate, like even a scratch would send blood flowing to the surface. Tsukune turned away and tried to think of something else. His mind racing with conflicting ideas. _Just calm down and think of something else, football, times tables, five sixes are thirty, six sixes are thirty six...._

"Tsukune." Aimi looked at him worried. "Something is wrong."

"No." Tsukune closed his eyes, taking a long sip out of his water bottle. "I'm good, I'm fine, just nervous about the project. That's all. Just nervous."

Aimi frowned. "I don't like to pry, Tsukune, I don't usually question people when something is the matter. But something _is_ wrong Tsukune, you can't tell me there isn't."

Tsukune rubbed his eyes, breathing out. "Look, there is something wrong, but I can't tell you what. Just please, don't tell the others. I don't want anybody to know. Okay?"

Aimi nodded. "I understand. But if things get too bad, you come to me for help."

Tsukune looked at Aimi and nodded. "Thank you."


End file.
